Top Food Companies To Watch For 2014

Wells Fargo reported on Wednesday that it has cut its rating on fast food giant McDonald’s Corporation (MCD).

The ratings firm has downgraded MCD from “Outperform” to “Market Perform,” and has given the company a valuation range of $100 to $102. This range suggests up to a 6% increase from the stock’s current price of $96.38.

Analyst Jeff Farmer commented: “In 2013, MCD’s Global quarterly SSS comparisons eased dramatically as the year progressed, falling from +7.3% in Q1 2012 to +0.1% in Q4 2012. The increasingly favorable comparisons meant very little with both Global and U.S. two-year SSS trends materially decelerating in 2013 despite the more favorable comparisons. McDonald’s U.S. market share losses in three of the last four months through November have increasingly captured our attention. MCD largely attributed its softening 2012 U.S. SSS results to the combination of a lack of meaningful new food news and relatively late response to increasingly value-focused promotional efforts from its key competitors. MCD was more aggressive in 2013 with both new products and promoting value, but the company’s recent U.S. market share losses suggest that the long-delayed raising of the competitive bar by WEN and BKW is creating a tangible top- line headwind for McDonald’s, and one we expect to persist in 2014.”

10 Best Medical Stocks To Invest In 2015: Nestle SA (NESN)

Nestle SA is a Swiss Company engaged in the nutrition, health and wellness sectors. It is the holding company of the Nestle Group, which comprises subsidiaries, associated companies and joint ventures throughout the world. It has such business units as Food and Beverage, Nestle Waters and Nestle Nutrition. It is also active in the pharmaceutical sector. It divides its products into Powdered and liquid beverages, Water, Milk products and Ice cream, Nutrition, Prepared dishes and cooking aids, Confectionery, PetCare and Pharmaceutical products. In February 2011, the Company acquired CM&D Pharma Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Celeste Perri]

  Nestle SA (NESN) is selling Givaudan (GIVN) SA shares worth $1.27 billion at yesterday�� closing price to institutional investors, winding down its stake in the world�� largest flavorings maker.

• [By Chad Fraser]

  These are the first significant moves made by the Caira, a former executive at Nestle SA (NYSE: NESN) who helped expand that company’s hot and cold beverage division.

Top Food Companies To Watch For 2014: Freshpet Inc (FRPT)

Freshpet Inc is a company which provides fresh food for pets, such as dogs and cats. The Company provides meats- based recipes, such as chicken, beef, lamb and salmon; fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, peas and leafy green vegetables, and high-fiber grains, such as brown rice, oats and barley.

Freshpet produces its food products in Pennsylvania, United State. The Company provides food packed with vitamins, proteins and amino acids.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  Based in Ladson, S.C., Force Protection Inc. (Nasdaq: FRPT) met the Defense Department's need with two series of armored vehicles, the Buffalo and Cougar, which were designed to detect IEDs and landmines and serve as personal transports.

Top Food Companies To Watch For 2014: Safeway Inc.(SWY)

Safeway Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food and drug retailer in North America. The company operates stores that provide an array of grocery items, food, and general merchandise, as well as features specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral, and pharmacy, as well as coffee shops and fuel centers. It also offers SELECT line of products that include baked goods, sparkling ciders and lemonades, salsas, whole bean coffees, frozen pizzas and entrees, and fresh and dry pastas and sauces, as well as an array of ice creams, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts; O ORGANICS line, which comprises milk, chicken, salads, juices, and entrees; Lucerne line of dairy products; Eating Right line of better-for-you products; Bright Green line of home care products; Total Pet Care line of pet foods and pet care products; and Value Red line of value-priced paper goods. As of December 31, 2009, Safeway operated approximately 1,725 stores in California, Oregon, Wash ington, Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba/Saskatchewan. In addition, the company owns and operates GroceryWorks.com Operating Company, LLC, an online grocery channel, doing business under the names Safeway.com, Vons.com, and Genuardis.com; and Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., which provides third-party gift cards, prepaid cards, telecom cards, and sports and entertainment cards to North American retailers for sale to retail customers. Additionally, it engages in gift card businesses in the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, and Australia. Further, the company, through a 49% ownership interest in Casa Ley, S.A. de C.V. operates 156 food and general merchandise stores in Western Mexico. The company was formerly known as Safeway Stores, Incorporated and changed its name to Safeway Inc. in February 1990. Safeway was founded in 1915 and is based in Pleasanton, California. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tabitha Jean Naylor]

  Safeway (NYSE: SWY)

  This U.S. and Canadian grocery store chain sells its products at low margins which caused investors to look elsewhere in the market throughout 2012. But the company posted very strong earning in February of 2013 that exceeded analyst expectations and consequently surprised investors.

Top Food Companies To Watch For 2014: G Willi-Food International Ltd (WILC)

G. Willi-Food International Ltd., incorporated in January 1994, is engaged, directly and through subsidiaries, in the development, import, export, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of a range of over 600 food products worldwide. The Company purchases food products from over 150 suppliers located in Israel and throughout the world, including from the Far East (China, India, the Philippines and Thailand), Ethiopia, Eastern Europe (Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Latvia), South America (Ecuador and Costa Rica), the United States, Canada, Western and Central Europe (the Netherlands, Belgium, Monaco, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, and France) and Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Greece). The Company's products are marketed and sold to approximately 1,500 customers in Israel and around the world including to supermarket chains, wholesalers and institutional consumers. The Company markets most of its products under the brand name Willi-Food. On January 1, 2012, the Company completed the sale of its entire 51% ownership interest in Shamir and closed its manufacturing segment.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� customers includes the Israeli supermarket chains in the organized market in Israel, which includes Shufersal Ltd. (including the chains: Shufersal Deal, Shufersal Deal Extra, Shufersal Sheli, Shufersal, Yesh, Shufersal Express and Katif); Mega Retail Ltd. (which also includes Mega, MegaBool, Mega in the City and Zol B'Shefa), and Co-Op Israel (which also includes Co-Op Jerusalem, Mister Zol and Pashut Zol). The Company contracts with the supermarket chains in the organized market through the buyers in the head office of the supermarket chain, and then the Company receives orders from the logistic center or directly from their stores. Merchandise is then delivered directly to each branch or to the supermarket�� chain distribution center. Its secondary major group of customers includes private supermarket chains, mini-markets, wholesalers, food manufac! turers, institutional consumers, such as catering halls, hotels, hospitals and food service companies and food producers, and customers in the Palestinian Authority.

.

The Company�� imports, markets and distributes a range of over 600 food products. These products are sold by the Company and by Gold Frost. The principal products in the import segment product line are Canned Vegetables and Pickles, including including mushrooms (whole and sliced), artichoke (hearts and bottoms), beans, asparagus, capers, corn kernels, baby corn, palm hearts, vine leaves (including vine leaves stuffed with rice), sour pickles, mixed pickled vegetables, pickled peppers, an assortment of black and green olives, garlic, roasted eggplant sun and dried tomatoes. These products are primarily imported from China, Greece, Thailand, Turkey, India, and The Netherlands; canned fish, including tuna (in oil or in water), sardines, anchovies, smoked and pressed cod liver, herring, fish paste and salmon. These products are primarily imported from the Philippines, Thailand, Greece, Germany and Sweden; Canned Fruit, including pineapple (sliced or pieces), peaches, apricot, pears, mangos, cherries, litchis and fruit cocktail. These products are primarily imported from China, the Philippines, Thailand, Greece and Europe.; Edible Oils, including olive oil, regular and enriched sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil and rapeseed oil. These products are primarily imported from Belgium, Argentina, Turkey, Italy, Holland and Spain; dairy and dairy substitute products, including hard and semi-hard cheeses (parmesan, edam, kashkaval, gouda, havarti, cheddar, pecorino, manchego, maasdam, rossiysky, iberico and emmental), molded cheeses (brie, camembert and danablu), feta, Bulgarian cheese, goat cheese, fetina, butter, yogurts, butter spreads, margarine, melted cheese, cheese alternatives, condensed milk, coffee whitener, pizzas, ice cream, whipped cream and others. These products are primarily imported from Greece, France, Latvia, Denma! rk, Bulga! ria, Italy, and The Netherlands.

Dried Fruit, Nuts and Beans, including figs, apricots, chestnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, pine nuts, cashew nuts, pistachio and peanuts. These products are primarily imported from Greece, Turkey, India, China, Thailand and the United States, and other products, including, among others, instant noodle soup, Manchu, breadstick coffee creamers, lemon juice, halva, Turkish delight, cookies, vinegar, sweet pastry and crackers, sauces, corn flour, rice, rice sticks, pasta, spaghetti and noodles, breakfast cereals, corn flakes, rusks, couscous, rusks, gnocchi, tortilla, dried apples snacks, chocolate bars and chocolate paste, tea, deserts (such as tiramisu and pastries), light and alcoholic beverages (such as ouzo, sangria and mohito) and more. These products are primarily imported from The Netherlands, Germany, Romania, Italy, Greece, Belgium, the United States, Scandinavia, Switzerland, China, Thailand, Turkey, India, and South America.

The Company competes with Shemen, Taaman, Solbar, Fodor (Starkist and Yona), Posidon, Williger, Filtuna, Vita Pri HaGalil, Shastowits, Yachin-Zan laKol, Williger, Alaska, Johnson, Osem, Barila, Tomer, Tnuva, Tara, Strauss, Seyman, Gad Dairy, and Meshek Zuriel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. Avg. High Yield Price
  2. 20-Year DCF Price
  3. Avg. P/E Price
  4. Graham Number
  
  SYY is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 37.5% premium to its calculated fair value of $26.26. SYY did not earn any Stars in this section.
  
  Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. Free Cash Flow Payout
  2. Debt To Total Capital
  3. Key Metrics
  4. Dividend Growth Rate
  5. Years of Div. Growth
  6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%
  
  SYY earned two Stars in this section for 2.) and 3.) above. The stock earned a Star as a result of its most recent Debt to Total Capital being less than 45%. SYY earned a Star for having an acceptable score in at least two of the four Key Metrics measured. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1970 and has increased its dividend payments for 43 consecutive years.
  
  Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. NPV MMA Diff.
  2. Years to > MMA
  
  The NPV MMA Diff. of the $282 is below the $500 target I look for in a stock that has increased dividends as long as SYY has. If SYY grows its dividend at 3.6% per year, it will take 3 years to equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.41%. SYY earned a check for the Key Metric 'Years to >MMA' since its 3 years is le

• [By Peter Graham]

  The Q4 2014 earnings report for Dubai headquartered specialty Basmati rice stock Amira Nature Foods Ltd (NYSE: ANFI), a potential performance peer of other specialty food stocks like The Chefs Warehouse, Inc (NASDAQ: CHEF) and Israel based G Willi-Food International Ltd (NASDAQ: WILC), is due out before the market opens on Tuesday. Aside from the Amira Nature Foods Ltd earnings report, it should be said that The Chefs Warehouse, Inc reported Q1 2014 on May1st (results were negatively impacted by the severe weather that affected many of our core markets) while G Willi-Food International Ltd reported Q1 2014 earnings on May 28th (results were�affected by a decline of consumption by Israeli customers). However, Amira Nature Foods Ltd shares fell as much as 22% after reporting third-quarter earnings back in February plus the stock is the sixth most shorted stock on the NYSE with short interest of 45.30%�according to HighShortInterest.com.

Top Food Companies To Watch For 2014: Amira Nature Foods Ltd (ANFI)

Amira Nature Foods Ltd., incorporated on February 20, 2012, is a provider of packaged Indian specialty rice, with sales in over 40 countries. It generates the majority of its revenue through the sale of Basmati rice, a long-grain rice grown only in certain regions of the Indian sub-continent. The Company sells its products, primarily in emerging markets, through a distribution network. It sells its Amira brand in more than 25 countries. The Company sells its Amira branded products to Indian retailers such as Bharti Wal-Mart, Big Bazaar, Metro Cash & Carry, Spar, Spencer's Retail, Star Bazaar (Tesco in India) and Total and retailers, such as Carrefour, Costco, Jetro Restaurant Depot, Lulu's and Smart & Final, and through the foodservice channel. It participates across the entire rice supply chain from the procurement of paddy to its storage, aging, processing into rice, packaging, distribution and marketing. In June 2013, the Company announced that it has launched Amira branded products in the United Kingdom. In January 2014, Amira Nature Foods Ltd acquired Basmati Rice GmbH.

The Company operates an automated and integrated processing and milling facility that is located in the vicinity of the key Basmati rice paddy producing regions of northern India. The facility spans a covered area of 310,221 square feet, with a processing capacity of 24 metric tons of paddy per hour. During the year ended March 31, 2012, 34% of its revenue was derived from sales in India, and 50.3% was derived from sales in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, or EMEA, 14.3% was derived from sales in the Asia Pacific region, and 1.4% was derived from sales in North America.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  Amira Nature Foods�(ANFI) went public last October at $10 per share — and now the stock is trading around 40% higher than that offer price. Compared to IPOs in general, however, the past year’s been anything but smooth. ANFI dropped 19% on its first day of trading and didn’t rise above its offering price until early September.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What:�Shares of�Amira Nature Foods� (NYSE: ANFI  ) were looking healthier today, gaining as much as 11% after the company named a new chief financial officer last night.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Amira Nature Foods (NYSE: ANFI  ) were looking rotten today, falling as much as 12% after reporting earnings this morning.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Amira Nature Foods (NYSE: ANFI) shares shot up 12.76 percent to $14.67 after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.

  Shares of Global Eagle Entertainment (NASDAQ: ENT) got a boost, shooting up 10.38 percent to $12.12 after the company and Boeing (NYSE: BA) announced a satellite connectivity partnership.